55 Strategies for Short Fiction with Mark Leslie, Matty Dalrymple and Angelique Fawns

This episode was originally created for the Stark Reflections podcast and hosted by Mark Leslie. I’m rebroadcasting it here on Substack for my short fiction writing friends. If you're a short story writer, or would like to be, you can’t miss this episode!Mark and Matty wrote an absolutely wonderful guide called Taking the Short Tack: Creating Income and Connecting with Readers Using Short Fiction, and this conversation is based on advice from that book.I consider Mark one of my mentors, and I learned so much from a consulting session with him (you can book your own HERE). It was on his advice that I reused my shorts in collections and braved a Kickstarter.Matty is a new find for me, and not only have I fallen in love with her, but I’m also obsessed with her character, Ann Kinnear. (This protagonist solves mysteries AND talks to dead people.)Here is a bit of what you’ll hear…Mark’s Take: Short Fiction Builds Careers Over TimeMark started writing in the 1980s, when selling short stories to magazines was the way to break in. Editors looked for proof you could deliver clean, compelling writing in a tight format.But decades later, Mark still finds short fiction valuable because:* You can sell it multiple times (first rights, reprints, anthologies)* You can collect stories into themed mini-books* You can serialize audio versions on YouTube or podcasts* You can use them in Kickstarters or special editions* You can pair them with long fiction for reader magnets or bundlesIn Mark’s world, a single story has many lives.Matty’s Take: Short Fiction Serves Your Existing ReadersMatty didn’t start in short fiction—she added it after she had two suspense novels out. But she realized:* Readers wanted more stories in the same world* Short fiction let her keep fans engaged between novels* Standalone shorts sell surprisingly well as ebooks* Holidays & seasons create perfect mini-launch momentsHer readers binge a full series… and then can keep getting a fix with the shorts.Short fiction becomes continuity glue.But Angelique, I’m not ready to do a full novel series? (Yup, I’m not quite there yet either.)This is my method and how Mark grew his career:* Write a story* Start with the highest-paying markets* Work your way down* Track your submissions* Push for pro rates when possible* Sell reprints after first publication* Later, collect the stories into minis or anthologiesWhy this works:* You build credentials quickly* You build relationships with editors* You grow an audience organically* You can resell the same story multiple times* You keep building a library of IPA 3,000-word story at pro rate (8 cents/word) earns $240—as much or more than many books earn in a full year.Short fiction can pay.Matty uses short fiction a little differently:* Standalone stories for $1.99* Available on Amazon, her website, and especially Curios* Seasonal releases (Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.)* Shorts tied directly to her existing series* Audio editions added for bonus valueWhy this works:* Readers already love her worlds* They will pay small amounts for more content* Direct platforms give better revenue splits* Audio + ebook bundles add high perceived value* No waiting months for rejections* No rights tangles, no contracts to decodeTools, Platforms, and ServicesHere are the most useful tools that came up in our conversation.So, I’d never heard of Curios before, but it’s Matty’s fav tool. (Here is her store) https://www.curios.com/creators/mattydalrymple-X449BRCURIOSPerfect for direct sales.* Writers keep 100% of the list price* Readers pay the fees* Has its own e-reader and audio app* Allows ebook + audio bundles without price-parity issues* Costs around $20/yearI personally use Gumroad, but in two years, I’ve earned a total of $3.74, so I’m not sure it’s working for me. BOOKFUNNEL Matty, Mark, and I use BookFunnel to:* Deliver reader magnets* Deliver short story collections* Send ebooks securely* Reduce tech headaches for new subscribers* Host downloads for Kickstarter backers* Track who actually downloads the bookDRAFT2DIGITAL For print copies of short stories:* D2D Print auto-builds your wraparound cover* As long as you reach ~24–30 pages, it works* Great for in-person events, swag, bundles* Extremely low print costThese are powerful as:* giveaways* Kickstarter add-ons* “buy-two-books-get-a-short-free” convention dealsRights, Risks, and PitfallsWatch out for:* Markets that count public drafts as “published”* Anthologies grabbing all rights forever* Ambiguous language around audio or film rights* Submission platforms that default to “public”If you want to learn more about short fiction contracts, Michael La Ronn has a great video HEREUsing Short Fiction to Build Novels Matty writes short pieces inside her Ann Kinnear world.Mark has reused stories across platforms for 20+ years.And I’m now writing my stories inside the universe of my novel-in-progress. (You can join the adventure! I’...